Hey guys, I had a small bump appear in my belly button a few months ago, around the same time that I was dealing with acid reflux. It was extremely itchy, swollen and red scaly looking for several weeks. Since then, it has shrank considerably (maybe due to weight loss, not sure) and is less bruised, but it still itches occasionally. Also, the top outer part is hard when you press down on it. I asked my doc about it, and he said it was either a small hernia or an infection. He told me to ignore it as long as it is not painful. I was looking for a second opinion on whether it's an umbilical hernia or something else, and I'd appreciate any advice you might have. Thanks!

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I wanted to ask about prerenal AKI—why can it show strong sodium reabsorption (with low FENa), concentrated urine, high creatinine, and other symptoms, even though it's supposed to be an injured kidney? Am I confused about the terminology? How should I understand this?

PS. I know the mechanism behind this (at least to some extent), but I'm not very sure about the part concerning injury. (It shouldn't just be called AKI based on meeting criteria, right? It feels like it's called AKI because there's actually injury involved? Then why can sodium be reabsorbed smoothly, and creatinine be excreted smoothly?)

As I'm not proficient in English writing, I've translated the text above using ChatGPT, hoping it's understandable.

What information might a blood test provide about a patient being treated for the lung disease tuberculosis? Why would blood tests be taken even after the disease has been diagnosed?

Question for Radiolographers/Those who read scans or those who understand the spine!

Hi all, I just want to ask a question (not looking for a diagnosis but more kinda clear some confusion I have).

A little timeline 2017 - prolapsed disc l4/l5 pressing on S1 2021 - Suspected CSF leak bern scale 3 (we never got to the bottom of this). 2021 - Root nerve cysts found on a scan of spine at c7 left and c8 both sides. 2024 - I just got back my scan from the weekend and they say I have disc generation from c4-c7 along with reduced cervical curvature, c4-c7 disc protrusion, uncovertable arthrosis?

The question is - How fast can spine changes happen, I'm 33 and have been sick for many years with issues no one can seem to fix (currently dealing with lymphedema but there not sure if it's lymphedema or CVI).

Also when a scan says "inconspicuous" what does that mean? - I'm just trying to understand everything and I live in a country where Danish isn't my first language (alot of the drs here don't explain things in english).

So I'm hoping you have some advice/help!

Thanks

I have a weird red rash that flares up sometimes and it goes away partially every once in a while. I've had it for about a year now and I tried using antibiotic cream on it for a while but it didn't help. I don't know what's causing it or how to treat it. Please advise.

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Hello, I have had constant knee pain on my right knee and I have no idea what could cause this. 30 year old female, I don’t run or do any crazy lifting. I sometimes will wake up in the middle of the night with very bad right knee pain and then throughout the day my knee is constantly aching.

Several times a month, sometimes for a stretch of 2-3 days or even up to a week, I get this intense pain on the right side of my face, but it's especially severe around my right eyeball. The pain can get quite intense and this thing has been happening for 3 years now. Consulted a lot of doctors but didn't get the concrete answer. Also the pain can be so intense sometimes that I feel that the nerve of that area will pop out. Also If I keep my hand of my eyes tightly the pain soothes slightly. 45 F 5ft 68 kg

Hello

I have recently started to experience some shoulder pain when I bench press. The problem is that it only hurts when I go above 225 lbs and that is usually no problem for me as my max is 330. Do you guys have any advice? It hurts when I’m in the stretched position and so far nothing has worked and don’t know what to do.

I’ve tried to do rotator cuff work but it’s not really helping.

All help is appreciated

To summaries, a few months ago, I took a flight back home and, as the plane was taking off, a sharp pain started from my right temple and progressively went to the inside of my right eye. It was AWFUL! I take pride in saying that I have a high pain threshold but, in this instance, I was about to scream. As this was happening, my right eyelid started drooping and I had lost control of the right eye, which started swinging from one side to the other.

When I landed, I visited a nose, throat and ear specialist who used a camera to check both my nostrils. They suspected this had to do with my sinuses but didn't find anything.

A few months have passed and it looks like I'm losing control of my right eye. I went to an neuro ophthalmologist who visited me and said that my right eye is bulging and not responding well. I agree because that's how it feels most of the time. It feels like there's an foreign object in it, applying pressure. Every movement is made with a lot of effort.

On top of that, I can't use both eyes together anymore and the right eye is slowly diverging outward. I do not have any breathing issues.

What do you think could be the cause?

- BP is fine

- Family history of thyroid issue but I don't have any

- Occasionally suffers from migraines that also affect the right eye and right side of the neck.

Did an MRI today and the part marked in red stood out to me. Any thoughts?

Thank you in advance

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Hi, I think I have dandruff in my eyebrows and because of that I apply Protopic, which helps a lot and very quickly, but I was just worried that if I use that every day it will cause hair loss in my eyebrows? I thought I was noticing the inside ends of my eyebrows becoming more sparse, but I may just be imagining it.

Any help is appreciate!

Thanks :)

Hi! Is there anyone here from Pakistan/Indian who is currently working in Australia? Need guidance

Do you guys have any source of free medical webinars/courses that give you certificates after? Been searching a lot online and haven’t been able to find anything free/serious enough

Could you help me answer this question?

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The scenario is: A 94 year old female has a deep, gnawing pain in the middle of her left arm.

What is the most likely diagnosis?

Metastatic carcinoma

Osteomyelitis

Osteoporosis

Osteosarcoma

Paget’s disease

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Broke my finger playing football and I was wondering how long this will keep me from playing. Any opinion helps. Thanks.

have 3 on my neck i am 19 ,male,no medical issues or medication ,dont smoke or drink

since 5 monthes first month they were 17.5mm 11.2mm 7.5mm then 1 month later they were 14.5mm 11.5 mm 8mm again 1 month later they were at 11.8mm 8mm 7mm then 3 monthes later 1 remained at 12.2mm the unltrasound doctor told me that the other 2 got really small am i ok ?

I've secured a spot for my elective after consulting with classmates and receiving a recommendation. Here are the reasons why:

A) The organization isn't an agency; it was founded by doctors who work with the students directly. B) All doctors are clinical professors who own the clinic. C) The clinics are all teaching clinics, making it an academic-focused program. D) It's entirely hands-on. E) All previous participants have successfully matched, including one at Mount Sinai in NY. G) The program limits the number of students each month, ensuring more quality time with the doctors. H) One of the programs allows rotations in a university hospital, providing networking opportunities with residents and the program director.

Overall, I believe these factors are crucial when selecting an elective, especially for IMGs seeking hands-on experience and academic affiliations. If anyone wants more details, feel free to reach out to me directly. I'm happy to help.

There is no evidence of a mass, an abnormal extra-axial collection, a recent infarct, or a hemorrhage. Small left frontal developmental venous anomaly. Otherwise, no suspicious enhancement. There is a small focus of low susceptibility signal near the atrium of the right lateral ventricle, possibly a component of mineralization of the choroid.

There is no evidence of a mass, an abnormal extra-axial collection, a recent infarct, or hemorrhage. Small left frontal developmental venous anomaly. Otherwise, no suspicious enhancement. There is a small focus of low susceptibility signal near the atrium of the right lateral ventricle, possibly a component of mineralization of the choroid.

CSF spaces: The size of the ventricles and sulci are within normal limits.

Cerebral white matter: The cerebral white matter appears normal.

Cerebral deep gray matter: The basal ganglia and thalami are intact.

Craniovertebral junction: The craniovertebral junction appears normal.

There is no evidence of a mass, an abnormal extra-axial collection, a recent infarct, or a hemorrhage. Small left frontal developmental venous anomaly. Otherwise, no suspicious enhancement. There is a small focus of low susceptibility signal near the atrium of the right lateral ventricle, possibly a component of mineralization of the choroid.

so i did a ultrasound on my knees and elbows wich showed that there was leaking fluid when moving the joints, he also said there seems to be a bit more fluid than normal, wich might explain why i have had pain in both knees and elbow.

now, ive done a ton of tests for reumatism and it shows nothing, the ultrasound also showed that the joints and ligaments looked completely normal. so does anyone have any reasonable explanation for this? and what would be the next step in fixing this or reliven

I get quite a bit of pain in the back of ,my head (left side) and my neck/top of back. Only with certain exercises.

It's been a problem for about two months. I'm 22 and in quite decent shape.

Hi, I go to the gym regularly enough and usually have no problems however I get quite a bit of pain in the back of ,my head (left side) and my neck/top of back. This pain only happens when I'm doing a dip style movement and is only bad when weight is added. I can lift heavy in other exercises without issue too. My thoughts are that my neck is too weak compared to the rest of me and the movement puts strain on my neck more than any other because the weight itself isn't the issue. However, I am aware that I know nothing as well. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I tried resting, not doing the movement for a while. But I recently tried it again, got pain fairly quickly and stopped. I was getting headaches too which were quite similar to an exertion headache.

Thanks for your time.

27 y/o female. Suspected Bladder endometriosis from MRI findings. Diagnosed adenomyosis.

SYMPTOMS: • Persistent left flank pain for almost 2 years. The cause of pain is still a mystery. • I’ve had bright white milk/discharge for at least 8 months now. Mostly unilateral (left breast/nipple), though clear/cloudy looking discharge will come out of my right breast if expressed. • Urinary urgency, frequency, incontinence • Severe constipation

ULTRASOUND FINDINGS:

RIGHT OVARY/ADNEXA: Polycystic ovarian morphology. Volume 12 cc.

LEFT OVARY/ADNEXA: Possibly cystic ovarian morphology. Volume 17 cc.

A doctor called to go over the ultrasound report today (I don’t have a family doc). Their opinion is the findings were unspecific and nothing to worry about. They mentioned it could have been due to the stage of my menstrual cycle when I had the ultrasound done.

Would you have suggested additional testing/follow-up based on my ultrasound results and symptoms? If so, what would you look into?

Every time I look it up, it just talks about fungus nails. I've had a fungus nail before and it's not this at all, also pretty much everyone I know has thicker toenails.

I asked my girlfriend cause she's a nurse and her dads a doctor, she suspects that blood flow and muscles usage is way more rapid on your lower half due to your feet and legs being the support of your body.

Is there any way to get your fingernails that thick? Like If what my gf says is true, and I started doing excessive exercising via upper torso - I'm wondering if I would get the same results.

Thank you in advance, discussions are also welcomed.

I'm currently in my fifth year, and I'm not okay. I feel exhausted and paralyzed, likely exacerbated by overthinking about my future. I honestly want to give up, but failure is not an option. I'm disappointed because I've done poorly in recent exams, and I know I'm not stupid. I used to excel in many things, but now I feel incompetent and inferior to others, which is making me depressed. Even activities like playing guitar and listening to songs, which used to bring me joy, no longer do. I feel like I've lost my sense of self and purpose. I'm uncertain about whether I'm meant to pursue a career in medicine, and I'm at a loss for what to do next. Despite knowing I should study, I've completely lost my motivation.

I went into my dentist knowing I had TMJ. I used to have an underbite when I was younger, but got it corrected to an extent with an expander. My doctor felt around and felt that my jaw joint was popping in and out, which required a mouth piece to be fixed. Everything was fine and normal, she told me they would take X-rays to see the joint, which was fine, until she said that they would send the X-rays out afterwards to be looked at by other doctors to make sure there isn’t anything else wrong, like bone cancer. She said it could take a few weeks to get the results back. Now, I’m pretty sure that it’s just an extra precaution they take to make sure there is nothing else wrong besides the dislocated joint, but hearing the words “bone cancer” made me very anxious and paranoid. I know it’s most likely not the case, but hearing it has made me overthink for a few days now as I await my results. I guess I’m fooling myself into believing it’s only me being tested for these type of things when going for X-rays at a dentist. Now, she did see that I was visibly nervous and shaken up and assured me that this is normal and that they send X-rays out for everyone to be checked at just in case they missed anything that they couldn’t see and didn’t mean to alarm me with the word cancer. My question is, is this normal to do for every patient, where they send out X-rays to be looked at more in-depth? Is this normal for every dentist to do?

23M / 165 lbs / 5'8 / Indian

Hello !! I'm in a very confusing situation and need some advice. I was bitten by a stray cat a month ago and completed PEP for it. And recently, got nipped by a stray dog on my lower back. It broke my skin and I saw some blood (2-3 drops) and there are visible teeth marks but they are not deep at all. This happened around 6 days ago and a day after it happened, I immediately contacted my PCP and convinced him to get me a titer test. My titer results came high - 7.4 IU/ml (which is above the acceptable range I guess)?? Do I need boosters? My pcp told me that I don't need any boosters since my antibody levels are high but another doctor in my town told me that I should still take 2 booster shots as rabies is always fatal and hence should be treated with 2 boosters everytime an exposure occurs even if the antibody levels are good. Please please shed some light on it. I'm in a real dilemma and have been very anxious about this.

I am a first year student in a 6-year program.

Anyway, I need some book recommendations in the following:

Anatomy

Physiology

Molecular Biology

Thanks in Advance! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Does anyone here know roughly what the starting rate is for a EKG technician in Corpus Christi Texas? I can’t find anything online and when I do the numbers are all over the place. Do phlebotomist make more?